Land leveling and finishing machine



Oct. 12, 1954 A H, M|| 5 LAND LEVELING :AND FINISHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June ll, 1952 ATTORNEY Oct- 12, 1954 A. H. MlLLs LAND 'LEVELING AND FINISHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR (y z/z Hmzzs lo N Filed June l1, 1952 Patented ct. 12', 1954 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE Claims. 1

This invention relates to a machine for use as a farm and road implement to level and drift earth, to fill in around borders, to cross check land, to ll ditches and gullies, and to smooth, finish and maintain roads.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a machine of relatively light weight capable of being operated from the seat of a draft vehicle, such as a tractor, by the draft vehicle operator, for both raising and lowering a scraping and leveling blade and for turning the blade to position either end thereof in advance of the other end for drifting earth laterally away from either side of the machine, both of which blade adjustments may be accomplished by the tractor operator Without leaving his seat on the tractor and while the leveling machine is in motion.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the aforedescribed character of extremely simple construction which may be very economically manufactured and sold, which is relatively light in weight requiring a relatively light draft under normal conditions and which is so constructed that it may readily function in conjunction with conventional parts of a tractor for actuating the mechanism of the machine for raising and lowering and angularly adjusting the scraper blade.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a machine capable of functioning with various makes of tractors with equal efficiency.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the machine in an operative position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly in horizontal section, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of a portion of the machine, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5 5 of Figure l, and

Figure 6 is a horizontal -sectional View taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5 6 of Figure 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the land leveling or drifting machine in its entirety is designated generally 8 and comprises a frame, designated generally s, formed of corresponding longitudinal side beams i c, a front cross brace i i and a rear cross brace l2. The longitudinal beams l0 are preferably of hollow construction being formed of a rigid relatively light weight metal. Said beams lil are provided with downwardly offset forward ends I3 in each of which is journalled the upwardly extending kingbolt or spindle M of a caster wheel fork l5 which is disposed therebeneath and in which a caster wheel I6 is journalled. Suitable collars il are detachably xed to the spindle it for rotatably and nonslidably securing it to its forward beam end I3. The forward ends of the beams le are thus supported by the casters l5, I6 which constitute the wheel support for the forward end of the ma chine il.

Each of the beams I0 is provided with a depending frame I8 at its rear end having a pair of braces i9 extending upwardly and forwardly from the lower end of the frame I8 and which are secured to and merge with the beam l0 at their forward ends. An arched shaped wheel guard or shield 28 is disposed over the portion of each beam ill and is secured at its ends to the braces I9 thereof. The wheel guards 2B are disposed over openings 2| in the beams IB each of which is adapted to accommodate the upper portion of a rear ground engaging wheel 22. Each beam il! is equipped with a wheel 22 which is disposed between its braces I9., between the sides of its wheel guard 2B and beneath the upper portion of said wheel guard, as best seen in Figures 1 and 4. Each Wheel 22 is journalled on an axle 23, the end portions or which extend outwardly through and are mounted in the braces i9 and the side portions of the wheel guard 2) which straddle said. wheel. The rear end of the machine 8 is thus supported by the rear wheels 22 which, in combination with the caster wheels i6, constitute the supporting wheels of the machine.

The depending frame portions I8 at the rear ends of the beams I0 are each provided at the upper and lower ends thereof with a rearwardly projecting apertured ear 25. The apertures of the ears 2li of each frame or hanger I8 are disposed in alignment and are adapted to align with a transverse sleeve 2'5 forming an end of the rear cross brace l2 and which is loosely disposed be tween said ears. A headed pivot pin 2s extends through each pair of ears and loosely through the sleeve 25 disposed therebetween. The rear cross brace i2 is thus swngably connected to the rear ends of the beams lo for swinging movement relatively to each beam about a vertical axis. The front cross brace Il is disposed near to but spaced from the downwardly offset forward beam ends i3 and is provided with bifurcated ends 2l each including a top furcation and a bottom turcation. The furcations of the biiurcated ends 2l' straddle the beams lil and are pivotally connected thereto by pivot pins 28 which extend downwardly through said iurcations and through the beams to form vertical axes about which the end portions oi the cross brace il is swingable relatively to said beams. Accordingly, it will be readily apparent that either beam It may be displaced forwardly or rearwardly relatively to the other beam while maintaining said beam in substantially parallel relationship and while the cross braces ll and l2 are thus maintained in substantially parallel relationship either transversely of the beams, when the ends of the longitudinal beams are in transverse alignment or at various angles to the beams lll when one of said beams is disposed forwardly or the other beam.

Each of the beams lo is providesL intermediate of its ends with an opstanding frame 29 which is suitably xed thereto. Each frame 2t has a substantially horizontal top wall or plate St provided with a centrally disposed flanged opening 3l, as best seen in Figure 3, which is disposed above and in vertical alignment with an opening 32 in the beam lil above which said plate is mounted. A hanger rod 33 extends slidably through the aligned openings Si and 32, the lower ends of said hanger rods depending from the underside of the intermediate portions of the beams il) between the rear wheels 22 and the front cross brace il. A relatively long scraping and leveling blade 313 is disposed beneath the frame 9 and extends outwardly from either side thereof, as illustrated in Figure 2. The convex, rear side of the blade 34 has a pair of longitudinally spaced sleeves 3P: fixed thereto. rEhe sleeves 35 are disposed vertically beneath and in alignment with the beam openings 32 and are adapted to turnably receive therein vthe lower ends of the hanger rods Sswhich are non-slidably connected thereto each by a pair of collars rhe collars 3S are fixed to the rods 33 above and beneath the sleeves 35. A brace or thrust absorbing lint: or rod El is disposed beneath each beam lo and is pivotally connected at its forward end to the pivot pin 2E, which extends through said beamA Each brace rod 3l has an eye or collar 3B at its rear end which loosely engages around the rod 33 beneath the beam io and substantially above the blade Si. The rods 3l absorb the rear ward thrust on the lower portions of the hanger rods 33 below the beams it when the blade 311 is in a ground engaging position at or beneath its position oi Figure l.

As best seen in Figures l, 3 and 5 a collar 3S is secured to each rod 33 between the openings Si and 32 engaged thereby. Said collars 39 are preferably provided with convexly rounded undersides it adapted to slidably and turnaoly engage the biurcated ends lil of lever arms 112, which bifurcated ends straddle the hanger rods 33. The

.lever arms i2 constitute complementary ends of bell cranks 3 which are pivotally mounted at their apexes, one on each of the frames 25, As best seen in Figure 5, the front portion of each frame 29 has a pivot pin or bolt t extending transversely thereacrcss and through the apex of one of the bell cranks 63 for mounting the bell crank for rocking movement in a vertical plane about the horizontal axis de. Each bolt fnl supports spacing sleeves d disposed thereon between the front frame portions 9 and the bell crank 43 and which maintains the bell crank in longitudinal alignment with the hanger rod 3S which it engages. The lever arms l2 extend rearwardly from the lever pivots t4. The other, longer arms llt of the bell cranks 33 extend upwardly and forwardly from the frames 29 at obtuse angles to the lever arms t2. A pull spring :il is secured to each collar 39 and extends downwardly and rearwardly therefrom between the leve;- urcaticns which engage said collar. The opposite ends of the pull springs lll are anchored by astenings i8 to the earns lo. Accordingly, the springs il urge the hanger rods 33 downwardly for displacing the scraping blade 34 downwardly into an earth engaging operative position and additionally tend to swing the bell cranks 43 counterclockwise as seen in Figure 1 about their pivots All.

s bearing standard i9 is secured to and rises from each beam lo forwardly of and adjacent its frame 2t and is disposed at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of said beam and near its inner edge. An axle 523 is secured to the standard and extends inwardly and rearwardly therefrom to provide a journal for a sheave I. An ear 52 projects forwardly from the intermediate portion of the front cross brace il to provide a support for the lower end of a lever 53 which is pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin 5t to mount n said lever for swinging movement in a vertical plane about the horizontal axis 5i.. A sheave 55 is mounted in a pulley block 5B which has a bi- 'iurcated shank 5l straddling the intermediate portion of the lever 53 and is swlngably connected thereto by a pivot pin 53. The pulley block 55 extends rearwardly from the lever 53 and is mounted for vertical swinging movement longitudinally of said lever. The lever 53 is connected to the terminals of the lever arms it by a flexible member 59 the intermediate portion of which is trained around the sheave 55 and the end portions of whch extend from said sheave downwardly and outwardly under the sheaves 5! and thence upwardly to the terminals of the levers t6 to which the ends of the flexible member 55) are secured. Accordingly, when the lever 53 is swung forwardly an equal pull will be exerted by the flexible member 59 on the lever arms t5 to cause said arms to swing downwardly and so that the other bell crank arms t2 will be swung upwardly to exert an upward thrust on the collars 3S and hanger rods 33 for elevating the blade Bfl. t will be obvious that the bell cranks @i3 will be rocked through corresponding arcs by forward movement of the lever 53 even though one of the beams lo is disposed forwardly of the other beam since the flexible member 59 is displaceable through the sheave block 5S to equalize the tension on the two lever arms 2lb.

A draft connection Gil is attached to and extends orwardly from the forward end of the frame Q and includes a oross'oar 6l which is disposed orwardly of the beam ends I3. rThe crossbar 6l is loosely connected adjacent its ends to the bea-in ends i3 by links 62 which are swingebly connected thereto and to said beam ends for mounting the crossbar 6i for free swinging movement in advance of the beam ends I3. A draft tongue 63 is pivotally connected at its rear end by a pivot pin 64 to the intermediate portion of the crossbar `(il and extends forwardly therefrom and is disposed for horizontal swinging movement relatively to said crossbar. The forward end of the draft tongue 63 is adapted to be coupled to a draft vehicle, as for example the drawbar of a tractor, not shown, by means of a coupling pin 65. A small sprocket wheel 5B is disposed above the tongue 63 near its rear end and is journalled on a shaft 61 which rises from the tongue. A larger sprocket wheel E8 is disposed above the tongue 63, adjacent its forward end, and is similarly journalled on a shaft 59 which is xed to and extends upwardly from the tongue. An endless chain 10 is trained around the sprocket wheels E6 and 68. One link of each flight of the chain 'l0 is provided with an outwardly projecting apertured lug 1I, which lugs are spaced from the sprocket wheels 6B and E8 when the beams l0 are in their normal positions with the forward beam ends I3 in transverse alignment. The complementary ends of two side or pull tongues 'l2 are pivotally connected by pivot pins 73 to the chain lugs 1|. The pull tongues l2 extend rearwardly from the lugs l! in diverging relationship to one another and are swingably connected adjacent their rear ends by links 'M to the end portions of the crossbar 6|.

A beveled gear 'I5 of smaller diameter than the sprocket wheel 68, is ilxed to the upper side thereof and meshes with a beveled pinion 16 which is xed to the rear end of a shaft 11 which extends forwardly therefrom. The shaft 'H is journalled adjacent the beveled gear 16 in a bearing standard 'I8 which is fixed to and rises from the forward end of the tongue 63, forwardly of the sprocket wheel 68. The shaft 'Il is adapted to be coupled in any suitable manner, as by means of a universal joint, not shown, to the power take-off shaft, not shown, of the tractor forming the draft vehicle for the machine B and to which said machine is connected by the coupling pin 65. A flexible member 'I9 is secured to the upper end of the lever 53 and extends forwardly therefrom and is adapted to be connected at its forward end, not shown, to the tractor power lift or hoist.

Assuming that the machine 8 is coupled as a trailer vehicle to a tractor or similar draft vehicle not shown, that the shaft 1l thereof is connected to a tractor power take-olf shaft and the flexible member 19 is connected to a tractor hoist or power lift, in order to lower the blade 34 below its position of Figure 1, the tractor power lift or hoist may be operated to swing in one direction for slacking off the flexible member 79 so that the bell crank ends 42 may swing downwardly under the weight of the blade 34 and the downward biasing pull of the springs 4l to thus displace the blade downwardly into a deeper earth engaging position. Converserly, the power lift or hoist may be operated to swing in the opposite direction to exert a forward pull on the flexible member 'I9 to swing the lever 53 forwardly so that the flexible member 59 will exert a downward pull on the bell crank arms 46 to swing the bell crank arms 42 upwardly7 for elevating the hanger rods 33 and the blade 34 l to a more shallow operating position or to an elevated inoperative position out of engagement with the earth, as for the purpose of transporting the machine 8 when not in use. The blade 34 is illustrated in Figure 2 as being disposed directly crosswise of the longitudinal axis of the machine 8. If it is desired to drift the earth toward the left side of the machine, looking from rear to front or left to right thereof as seen in Figure 2, the power take-olf shaft of the tractor is actuated for turning the shaft il and pinion 'I6 in a direction to turn the sprocket wheel 68 counterclockwise as seen in Figure 2 so that the right-hand chain flight will move forwardly and the left-hand chain flight rearwardly, to cause the crossbar 6l to swing counterclockwise on its pivotal connection Se to the draft tongue (i3 to advance the right-hand beam lil and to displace the left-hand beam i0 rearwardly, so that the blade 34 will then be inclined rearwardly from its right-hand to its left-hand end, as viewed from the rear end of the machine, so that the earth scraped by the blade will be drifted and deflected off of the trailing left-hand end of the blade. Similarly, the power take-olf shaft may be driven in the opposite direction to turn the sprocket wheel SS clockwise as seen in Figure 2 to reverse the procedure previously described so that the blade will be inclined in the opposite direction for drifting or deilecting the earth or dirt off of the trailing right-hand end of the blade.

It will thus be readily apparent that a machine of extremely simple construction has been provided capable of attachment to a conventional tractor to be pulled thereby and which is additionally so constructed that actuation of the scraping blade may be accomplished by conventional tractor parts for raising or lowering the blade or for positioning the blade at various desired angles relatively to the direction of travel of the machine, all of which functions and results may be accomplished by the novel structure of the machine and without any modification being required in connection with any of the structure of a conventional tractor having a power driven hoist and a power take-off shaft.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter dened by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending beams, surface engaging wheels clisposed beneath and supporting said beams adjacent the ends thereof, cross braces connecting said beams adjacent the ends thereof and swingably connected to the beams, hanger means eX- tending downwardly from said beams, a scraping and leveling blade swivelly connected to and supported by said hanger means beneath the beams, means for displacing one of the beams forwardly with respect to the other beam for swinging the blade for positioning one end thereof in advance of the other blade end, said last mentioned means including a crossbar disposed transversely of and swingably connected to forward ends of the beams, a draft tongue extending forwardly from and swingably connected to the intermediate portion of said crossbar, side tongues pivotally connected to and extending forwardly from the crossbar adjacent its ends, actuating means connected to the forward ends of the side tongues for displacing one of the side tongues forwardly and the other side tongue rearwardly for displacing said beams longitudinally in opposite directions, said actuating means comprising an endless chain having opposite flights to which forward ends of the side tongues are connected, sprocket Wheels journalled in longitudinally spaced relationship on said draft tongue and around which said chain is trained, and means for driving one of said sprocket wheels in either direction.

2. A machine as in claim 1, said sprocket wheel driving means comprising a beveled gear fixed to one of the sprocket wheels, a beveled pinion meshing with said beveled gear, and a power take-oli shaft extension fixed to the beveled pin ion and extending forwardly from the draft tongue.

3. A machine as in claim 1, said hanger means comprising rods, frames fixed to and rising from the beams having upper portions through which the rods slidably extend, collars fixed to said rods between the upper frame portions and said beams, bell cranks swingably connected to said frame portions each having an end engaging under one of said collars and an opposite end normally extending upwardly from the frame portions, and means connected to the upwardly extending last mentioned bell crank ends for simultaneously exerting a downward pull thereon for elevating the hanger rods and blade.

4. A machine as in claim 8, said last mentioned means comprising a lever pivote-ily connected to and extending upwardly from one of said cross g braces and disposed forwardly of the bell cranks, said lever being pivotally mounted for forward and rearward swinging movement, a pulley block connected to said lever intermediate of its ends, and a flexible member having an intermediate portion trained through the pulley block and having end portions connected to the upwardly extending end of the bell cranks for exerting a downward pull on said upwardly extending bell crank ends when the lever is swung forwardly of the machine.

5. A machine as in claim 4, and a tractor hoist actuated flexible member having one end connected to the upper end of said lever and extending forwardly therefrom and adapted to be displaced forwardly for exerting a forward pull on said lever.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,249,137 Pile Dec. 4, 1917 1,277,623 Matthews Sept. 3, 1918 1,327,047 Kimbley Jan. 6, 1920 1,876,604 Bruner et al. Sept. 13, 1932 

